When Jordan Collins was 2 years old, his mom, Tracy Collins, knew there was something that set him apart from other children. "We were at a birthday party at McDonald's," she recalls, "and all the other kids came when it was time to see the birthday presents. But Jordan - he was just so overwhelmed with excitement, he was jumping off the tables."

It was no surprise to Jordan's mom when psychologists diagnosed him with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, and by the time he was 6, she recognized that medication would help him.

Today, at 9, Jordan is still struggling. He plays baseball, basketball, and football, and is a happy, energetic boy. Even with medication, however, it is difficult for him to concentrate, focus on a single topic, stay put in his seat, or wait his turn.

In his small Bethel elementary school, Jordan has had teachers who were not only understanding, but talented in finding ways to harness his energy in productive ways. He has also had teachers, Collins says, "who believe the way to deal with him is to humiliate him when he makes a mistake, ridicule him so the other kids laugh."

Raising a child with any disability is a challenge, but with disorders like ADD, ADHD, learning disabilities, autism and a host of other invisible disabilities, the biggest hurdle can be simply finding empathy in teachers.

"Some kids with ADHD are aggressive or have trouble controlling tempers," Tracy says. "We're so lucky that Jordan isn't like that."

Collins says she recognized her son in a poem printed in this column years ago, and reads it often to remind herself that others understand how an ADHD child's brain works. Sharon O'Connell Disher, a Cincinnati teacher and poet, wrote the poem for her own son upon his high school graduation. Tracy Collins says, "I wish everyone who has to teach my son - or any child with attention deficit - could read that poem." So here it is: